![]() One of my favorite teaching mottos is to go slow to build deeper knowledge. Keep reading to see some of my favorites at the end of this post! Step 2: Establish Your Story Elements Text Those features help keep students engaged over and over again. In addition to hitting all of our targeted story elements, the illustrations and story message are meaningful. The resolution comes at the end, a predictable time for the conflict to resolve.The conflict begins early and escalates.The plot is linear and doesn’t involve too many twists and turns.There are two primary settings: Chrysanthemum’s house and her school.Chrysanthemum is the clear main character, and there are multiple secondary characters.Chrysanthemum exemplifies all of our story elements in strong, direct ways: One of my favorite mentor texts is Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Strong character leads with whom students can identify.Stories that involve interactive elements, such as call and response.Relatable stories with messages that hit home.Humor that becomes class “inside” jokes.Illustrations that include a lot of hidden details.Here are some qualities I look for in a story elements mentor text: And not to worry! Simple texts do not have to be boring. However, you want students to be able to identify story elements with independence. Often, more complex stories blur the lines between each story element. The second rule of thumb is: Keep it simple. Moral of the story: Be sure to identify each of the story elements in your first mentor text. Some books have no real conflicts, while others have no real resolution. But, the story elements don’t follow a typical structure. Novak is incredibly silly and self-referential. For example, The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Truthfully, that’s what makes them so fun. I’m often surprised at how often my favorite picture books play with the story elements. ![]() Does the resolution to the conflict happen at a predictable moment in the story?.Does this story include an explicit conflict that encompasses all or most of the plot?.Is the plot linear, and does it include a major event with smaller sub-events?.Is the story set in a specific place or time that is identifiable through context and pictures?.Is the main character front and center, and are there secondary characters?.When reading through your favorite stories, make sure you can answer yes to the following questions: The first rule of thumb is: Use a clear mentor text that demonstrates all five story elements. The text you choose can either make the journey to learning story elements a breeze, or it can lead to a lot of confusion down the road. It may sound simple, but this is a crucial step. You might be thinking: Don’t the students get bored? Don’t you run out of things to say? The answer: Nope! And today, I’ll walk you through my steps to teaching story elements with a single text. It makes planning easier and understanding stronger. These days, I start my story elements unit with one single text and stick with it. I would create a mini-routine for this unit. I could simplify my approach to teaching story elements in a way that would be more rewarding and meaningful for my students. But, every approach I took felt disorganized and scattered. I knew their importance in the grand scheme of reading comprehension. Characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. ![]() I struggled with teaching story elements for many years.
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